A sample size of 10 years is sufficient to examine the excellence of the 2014 NBA Draft.
Nearly a decade ago, during the Barclays Center era, NBA MVPs Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic fell to the Denver Nuggets in the second round, drafted long before their star potential blossomed.
Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings took a gamble on Nik Stauskas, drafting the Michigan guard with the No. 8 overall pick, which didn't work out in Sacramento's favor.
Now, what if the Kings were holding the clock with today's NBA yearbook in hand?
If that were the case, the Kings, then under coach Mike Malone and general manager Pete D'Alessandro, would have selected Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart in the 2014 NBA redraft, according to ESPN.
Originally selected by the Boston Celtics in 2014, Smart has been a defensive giant since joining the league, winning the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Award and being named to the All-Defensive Team three times.
Meanwhile, Stauskas appeared in 21 games and started one game for the Kings before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers before the start of the 2015 NBA season.
The guard was one of Vlade Divac's first moves as a decision-maker for the Kings, and as the story goes, it was a move completely detrimental to the franchise.
With the 2024 NBA Draft set for June 26-27, the question is how will Sacramento look back on its next first-round pick in 10 years?
Kings fans can only hope that the results are the opposite of what they saw in 2014.
